Telephone-based interactive broadcast or cable radio or television methods and apparatus

• US 5,907,793 A
• Filed: 08/03/1995
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: David A. Reams
• Inventors: Reams, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US08/510,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 455/2, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/186.1, 455/45, 455/46, 455/66, 348/1, 348/5, 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13
• US Class Current: 725/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

An interactive broadcast or cable radio or television system includes methods for transmitting a telephone number to a receiving apparatus with receiver antenna and telephone-autodialer, to receive and autodial transmitted telephone number, transmitted code identification of an interactive, response-activated or emergency alert response speech synthesizer and transducer to reproduce predetermined dat representative activated by responding with at least one response option such as at least one response mode to activate a voice message addressed to the receiver or to purchase or order at least one product, service or program element, to request information concerning at least one product, service or program element or to make voice contact with an agent or marketing representative for at least one associated product, service or program element and further to purchase or order, request information concerning or make voice contact with an agent or marketing representative for at least one product, service or program element displayed in product/service or program element listings scrolled as text.

Claims

1. A method for interactive broadcast or cable radio or television comprising the steps of:

encoding via data encoding means for transmission via broadcast or cable radio or television data transmission means a data set consisting of a plurality of portions including

A) a code identifying a predetermined telephone number available to be automatically dialed in response to a program element such as a musical recording, video, song, show or other program material intended to entertain, live or recorded speech intended to inform, a short announcement or commercial advertisement, political advertising, a public service announcement or an Emergency Alert System (EAS) event message or a product or service marketed or otherwise identified in said program element and

B) said predetermined telephone number;

transmitting via said broadcast or cable radio or television data transmission means coupled to said data encoding means said data set to respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means;

receiving said data set via said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means;

detecting said code via detecting means coupled to said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means;

processing in predetermined manner one or plurality of portions of said data set including said predetermined telephone number via data processing means coupled to said detecting means;

storing at least one portion of said data set including said predetermined telephone number via memory means coupled to said data processing means;

indicating via visual display means coupled to said data processing means said predetermined telephone number is available to be automatically dialed in response to said program element;

activating via activation means coupled to said data processing means predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means to automatically dial said predetermined telephone number;

automatically dialing said predetermined telephone number via said predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means coupled to said data processing means and

audibly reproducing predetermined data via audible reproduction means comprising speech synthesizer means and audio system means coupled to said data processing means.

2. A method for interactive broadcast or cable radio or television comprising the steps of:

receiving via respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means a data Bet consisting of a plurality of portions including

A) a code identifying a predetermined telephone number available to be automatically dialed in response to a program element such as a musical recording, video, song, show or other program material intended to entertain, live or recorded speech intended to inform, a short announcement or commercial advertisement, political advertising, a public service announcement or an Emergency Alert System (EAS) event message or a product or service marketed or otherwise identified in said program element and

B) said predetermined telephone number;

detecting said code via detecting means coupled to said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means;

processing in predetermined manner one or plurality of portions of said data set including said predetermined telephone number via data processing means coupled to said detecting means;

storing at least one portion of said data set including said predetermined telephone number via memory means coupled to said data processing means;

indicating via visual display means coupled to said data processing means said predetermined telephone number is available to be automatically dialed in response to said program element;

activating via activation means coupled to said data processing means predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means to automatically dial said predetermined telephone number;

automatically dialing said predetermined telephone number via said predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means coupled to said data processing means and

audibly reproducing predetermined data via audible reproduction means comprising speech synthesizer means and audio system means coupled to said data processing means.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises data channel means.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises program audio channel means.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said code further identifies address information and

said detecting via said detecting means further detects said address information.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said code further identifies geographic address information and

said detecting via said detecting means further detects said geographic address information.

8. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said visual display means comprises LED means.

9. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said visual display means comprises LCD or text display means.

10. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said activation means comprises pushbutton means.

11. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said activation means comprises keypad means.

12. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said activation means comprises voice recognition unit (VRU) means.

13. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said activation means comprises said code.

14. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said predetermined telephone means comprises wireline telephone means.

15. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said predetermined telephone means comprises cellular telephone means.

16. A method according to claim 2 wherein

at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means is preprogrammed.

17. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said data set further includes at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means.

18. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means and

said audibly reproducing further comprises muting program audio signals output from said respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

19. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means and

said audibly reproducing further comprises attenuating program audio signals output from said respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

20. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means further includes data representative of a call status message.

21. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means further includes a prompt prompting predetermined response via predetermined response means coupled to said data processing means.

22. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said data set further includes program element listing text data listed as program element listing information by predetermined subject categories;

said storing further comprises storing said program element listing text data with telephone number data in memory blocks of defined size identified by respective type codes and uniquely addressed respective address locations corresponding to said predetermined subject categories and

said visual display means further comprises;

means for scrolling in a predetermined direction predetermined text data identifying a plurality of said predetermined subject categories;

means for selecting a subject category from said scrolled predetermined text data identifying said plurality of predetermined subject categories;

means for scrolling in a predetermined direction text data representative of program element listing information listed under said selected subject category and

means for selecting a program element from said scrolled text data representative of said program element listing information to respond by automatically dialing said predetermined telephone number.

23. An apparatus for interactive broadcast or cable radio or television comprising:

respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means for receiving a data set consisting of a plurality of portions including

A) a code identifying a predetermined telephone number available to be automatically dialed in response to a program element such as a musical recording, video, song, show or other program material intended to entertain, live or recorded speech intended to inform, a short announcement or commercial advertisement, political advertising, a public service announcement or an Emergency Alert System (EAS) event message or a product or service marketed or otherwise identified in said program element and

B) said predetermined telephone number;

detecting means coupled to said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means for detecting said code;

data processing means coupled to said detecting means for processing in predetermined manner one or plurality of portions of said data set including said predetermined telephone number;

memory means coupled to said data processing means for storing at least one portion of said data set including said predetermined telephone number;

visual display means coupled to said data processing means for indicating said predetermined telephone number is available to be automatically dialed in response to said program element;

activation means coupled to said data processing means for activating predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means to automatically dial said predetermined telephone number;

said predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means coupled to said data processing means for automatically dialing said predetermined telephone number and

audible reproduction means comprising speech synthesizer means and audio system means coupled to said data processing means for audibly reproducing predetermined data.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast radio data receiver means comprises satellite Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) tuner means.

26. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast radio data receiver means comprises terrestrial Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) tuner means.

27. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises data channel means.

28. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises program audio channel means.

29. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said code further identifies address information and

said detecting means further detects said address information.

30. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said code further identifies receiver address information and

said detecting means further detects said receiver address information.

31. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said code further identifies geographic address information and

said detecting means further detects said geographic address information.

32. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said code further identifies GPS address information and

said detecting means further detects said GPS address information.

33. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said visual display means comprises LED means.

34. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said visual display means comprises LCD or text display means.

35. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said activation means comprises pushbutton means.

36. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said activation means comprises keypad means.

37. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said activation means comprises voice recognition unit (VRU) means.

38. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said activation means comprises said code.

39. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said speech synthesizer means comprises DTMF conversion means to convert said predetermined telephone number into DTMF dialing signals to dial said predetermined telephone number via said predetermined telephone means comprising automatic dialing means.

40. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined telephone means comprises wireline telephone means.

41. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined telephone means comprises cellular telephone means.

42. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means is preprogrammed.

43. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means is preprogrammed in said speech synthesizer means.

44. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means is preprogrammed in said memory means.

45. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said data set further includes at least a portion of said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means.

46. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means comprises LPC signals and

said speech synthesizer means comprises LPC speech synthesizer means.

47. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means and

said audio system means comprises the audio system means coupled to said respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

48. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means and

said audible reproduction means further comprises muting means for muting program audio signals output from said respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

49. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said respective broadcast or cable radio or television data receiver means comprises respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means and

said audible reproduction means further comprises attenuating means for attenuating program audio signals output from said respective broadcast or cable radio or television tuner means.

50. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means includes data representative of a call status message.

51. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means includes a prompt prompting predetermined response via predetermined response means coupled to said data processing means and

said predetermined response means comprises said predetermined telephone means.

52. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means includes a prompt prompting predetermined response via predetermined response means coupled to said data processing means and

said predetermined response means comprises affirmative response pushbutton means.

53. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means includes a prompt prompting predetermined response via predetermined response means coupled to said data processing means and

said predetermined response means comprises keypad means.

54. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said predetermined data audibly reproduced via said audible reproduction means includes a prompt prompting predetermined response via predetermined response means coupled to said data processing means and

said predetermined response means comprises voice recognition unit (VRU) means.

55. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

said data set further includes program element listing text data listed as program element listing information by predetermined subject categories;

said memory means further comprises partitioned memory means for storing said program element listing text data with telephone number data in memory blocks of defined size identified by respective type codes and uniquely addressed respective address locations corresponding to said predetermined subject categories and

said visual display means further comprises

text scroll means for scrolling in a predetermined direction predetermined text data identifying a plurality of said predetermined subject categories;

means for selecting a subject category from said scrolled predetermined text data identifying said plurality of predetermined subject categories;

text scroll means for scrolling in a predetermined direction text data representative of program element listing information listed under said selected subject category and

means for selecting a program element from said scrolled text data representative of said program element listing information to respond by automatically dialing said predetermined telephone number.